Studies on sterol/steroid biosynthesis from 3:4 dihydroxy phenyl alanine

Homogenated tissue of gonads of Rana tigrina were incubated in Young's Ringer solution containing 5 mg of 3:4 dihydroxy phenylalanine. An increase in the cholesterol and neutral-17-ketosteroids was found when compared with the control. Perfusion of ovary with DOPA gave similar results. However, there was a sharp drop (greater than 50%) in the cholesterol contents of the kidney and suprarenal under similar conditions. A postulated scheme of steroid biosynthesis from DOPA is given.